Penola (whose name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning wild honeysuckle)  and the nearby Coonawarra Wine Region were our first stops on the inland route back toward Adelaide.  We did a historic walk around tiny Penola, with Petticoat Lane as the highlight.  The Sharam Cottage is Penola’s first house, and one of a number of historic cottages on this road.  Penola is also home to Australia’s first saint, Mary McKillop, and there are a number of sites related to her life and work toward egalitarian education.  The poet Adam Lindsay Gordon lived here as well.  The Riddoch Center in the information office was very interesting as well, with insightful detail into the town’s history.

Coonawarra’s terra rosa soils and cool climate are the perfect formula for amazing cabernets and other red wines.  We visited The Poplars and Rymill wineries.  Rymill’s location was especially beautiful, and they encouraged taking your sample upstairs to two viewing platforms. In one direction were the vineyards, and on the inside you could see the vats and barrells of the wine-making operation.

In the afternoon, we made a brief stop in Naracoorte, known for its vast cave systems.  Some unique and amazing fossils have been found in the area, especially in Victoria Fossil Cave.

Click here for more photos.